My SuperFamily
by mysuperfamily
Summary: A "Domestic Avengers/Superfamily" fanfiction set in the Mavel movie universe. This story starts where the movie ended. Eventual very eventual Stony. Inspired by the "Superfamily" phenomenon on Tumblr.
1. New Guy in Town

"Excuse me," JARVIS's cool mechanical voice echoed through the room.

Steve Rogers started, stopped mid-punch and had to grab the punching bag before it could swing forward and hit him. He was still unused to the building's AI. He hadn't gotten used to a voice that came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time and could pop up without warning.

"Er, yes?" He never knew quite where to look when speaking to JARVIS. It felt rude to have a conversation without looking the speaker in the eyes. But seeing as the AI didn't have any, he wasn't sure what the protocol should be.

"Your presence is required in the Family room."

The 'Family' room was what Tony had jokingly named the room that had become their default planning room for any group house decision, large or small. Generally they didn't discuss anything really serious there, no world saving discussions went on in that room. Stark had a bigger one with a meeting table, lots of monitors and terminals for that. The Family room was a large oval, and had one big curved screen that made up most of one wall. The floor had built in padded stadium couches along the opposite wall, interspersed with small side tables. It made for easy lounging and was too comfortable to deal with big problems.

Tony also kept dragging them all there whenever he wanted to show off something new and shiny. Which could be anything from new coffee machines or some techy thing, or worse something asinine like when he'd programmed JARVIS with a complete movie catalog of every Oscar winner since the inception of the awards and wanted to plan out their first group "movie night."

Steve thought a moment about ignoring the summons. Tony had been threatening a marathon of the old Captain America serials and he wasn't in the mood to bow out of that gracefully.

But, presence is ___required__.._.not requested. Something potentially serious could be going down. "Okay." He grabbed a towel and threw it around his neck. "Um, which way is it from here again?"

"I'll show you, sir." JARVIS slid open the door to Steve's workout room and a panel lit up down by the elevator. "Fortieth floor, the elevator will open into the room."

"Thanks."

Living together was still new to all of them. The new Avengers Tower, formerly Stark Tower, had only completed construction about a month ago. No small feat considering a large chunk of Manhattan was under reconstruction at the same time, making supplies and workers at a premium. But a lot could be done when you had unlimited funds and could say "cost is no object" and _mean it._ And Tony Stark really did mean it when he said it, and Pepper Potts was polite and clever enough to repeat it in a way that made people feel honored stand in line to help. Having the backing of SHIELD to help grease over any legal technicalities helped too. They all tried to ignore that SHIELD's interest was most likely in keeping the Avengers where they could see them, most of them anyway.

Thor had yet to return from Asgard, and no one was quite sure if he could return. Steve just hoped if they ever got into enough trouble that they needed the self-proclaimed demi-god he'd be able to make his way back.

The elevator doors opened, and Steve frowned. They weren't anywhere near the right floor yet.

"O-oh." An equally startled Bruce Banner hesitated on the threshold to the elevator. He looked at the tiny, enclosed room. He quirked an eyebrow and asked, "Do you want me to wait for the next one?"

Steve appreciated the thought, but he thought it unlikely that the mild doctor was going to spontaneously transform between this floor and their destination. "No. Not at all," he said and waved him in.

"Thanks," Bruce gave a little nod of appreciation. He fiddled with his sleeves, rolled up to the elbows, a sure sign he'd been working in the lab Tony had put in his quarters. "So, uh," he said diffidently as the doors slid shut. "He..he called you too?"

Steve nodded. "Do you think it's something serious?"

"Mr. Stark requests we hurry." JARVIS announced before Bruce could reply. The elevator abruptly accelerated up at a dizzying speed. Both men were thrown against the side of the elevator, and it took all of his strength to keep Steve fully upright. Bruce went down to his knees.

"Banner!" Steve yelled. "You alright?"

"Y-yeah," Bruce said, his voice choked and his currently human body compressed against the floor. "I think."

"You think!" Steve started calculating escape plans to get the doctor out before something regrettable happened. "JAR-"

The elevator slowed, and the doors opened. Unfortunately, it didn't slow enough to prevent the two men from flying up and out from the sudden stop. Steve flew right into one of the couch backs, and Bruce fell into him. They went down in a sprawl.

Tony Stark turned and looked over his should impatiently. "Hurry up! You're going to miss it!"

"Stark!" Steve barked, levering himself up. "What were you thinking! Do you have any idea-"

"M-miss what?" Bruce asked, picking himself up and peering worriedly at the screen. It was flashing what looked like a cellphone recording of the New York skyline. "Is it Loki?" He pulled out his glasses and started down an aisle, apparently unperturbed by Stark's method of getting them there.

"Are those webs?"

Steve bit back his anger, and glanced at the woman who'd spoken. Natasha Romanov had her "game" face on, cool and calculating as she stared fixedly at the screen.

"It would go along with his apparent theme," Barton replied, lounging on a couch in the top row. His eyes didn't leave the screen.

"Which can I just say," Pepper said craning around Tony to look at the man above her, "Ew? Spiders? Really?"

Romanov cast her a glance, and raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry." Pepper pulled an apologetic face and quickly faced the screen again.

"What?" Steve asked and then bit back a gasp as a figure flashed between buildings on some kind of rope webbing.

"I think he's ripping off you a bit there, Spangles." Tony didn't glance at Steve as he hurried to stand with the others. "Red, blue and tight pants."

"Tight everything," Pepper commented when the wiggling camera refocused on the figure that was somehow clinging, upside down, to a brick wall in a strange crouch.

"Is he hostile?" Steve went into Captain America mode. He hadn't been active in this time for very long, but in general people dressed up in funny costumes had ___never_been a good sign in any time.

"Don't know yet," Romanov stated.

"Doesn't seem to be," Barton chimed in. "You missed him taking down some bank robbers. Swooped in and wrapped them up tight in that web stuff."

"A friendly?" Steve asked.

"Don't know yet," Romanov repeated.

"Are they biological?" Bruce asked as the figure turned his hand in a funny gesture and shot out another web strand.

The question remained unanswered, though Steve doubted anyone had an answer for the doctor, when the news announcer began to speak.

"This is startling footage of the cities newest costumed superhero, the self proclaimed "Spider-man." A serious looking woman said as the screen shrunk down to a square behind her. "Reports are coming in from all over the city as this newest vigilante to hit the streets. Is this a-"

"Sir," JARVIS said, sounding faintly aggrieved. "I have reporters from several sources asking for a comment on "the Spider-man." They wish to know if he is another Stark creation."

"No, of course not." Stark scoffed. "Does that look like something I'd create?"

"It is awfully flashy." Steve commented, pulse slowing down as he realized there was no immediate threat from the spindly figure that was once again whipping around on screen.

Stark frowned and cast him a dirty look, but answered JARVIS. "Tell them no comment."

"Of course, sir."

"Does SHIELD have a hand in this?" Steve asked, glancing up at Barton and over to Romanov.

"Not that we know of," Barton shrugged and Romanov nodded in agreement.

"It's, um, a bit more...overt," Bruce suggested, "than Fury's normal style."

"What are you talking about?" Tony waved his hands to encompass the room. "WE'RE his normal style." He flailed a hand dramatically at the screen. "And don't you see? There's a new guy in town! And he's stealing our turf! Stealing our press!"

"Stealing our press?" Steve repeated. "That's your big concern?"

"Hey, I invested a lot of time and effort into this venture, we should at least get top billing in the news." Stark grumped. "Look, reduced to co-star." He gestured to the crawl at the bottom of the screen that quietly announced the official completion of the Avengers Tower and the gala Tony had planned to celebrate it planned for a week from today. Steve had only agreed to appear when Stark had pointed out it was also a fundraiser for the rest of the beleaguered Manhattan. "So not my style."

Steve resisted rolling his eyes, electing instead to ignore him and address the others. "So what is your read on the situation?" He asked, focusing first on Dr. Banner.

"I... I don't know," he frowned at the screen, he picked up a remote and pressed a few buttons. Popups filled a portion of the screen, all news reports of the Spider-man. "This is the first I've heard of this."

"It's been going on for about a week now." Romanov commented. "Isolated incidents, seemingly unconnected. Mostly petty crime, muggers, car thieves, burglars. He's not bringing down any big fish."

"Seems to be working alone," Barton said. "Localized to the city." He shook his head as he watched shaking cell cam footage of the new 'hero' grapple with a couple of thugs that had been threatening and old lady. "No combat training. He's all over the place."

"Strong," Bruce said as the wiry figure picked up one of the thugs and lifted him above his head."

"That kind of strength isn't natural," Steve said through thinning lips.

"Question is," Tony said, "is he a self-made man like Brucey-boy and I," he paused to clap Banner hard on the shoulder. "Or did he have help like you?"

"I think we need to find out," Steve said.

"Should I suit up?" Stark bounced on his heels, looking eager. "Bring the little jerk in?"

"We don't even know where to find him," Steve said with no little exasperation. "And we don't know if he's a hostile. We certainly don't have any reason to kidnap him."

"We aren't SHIELD," Bruce said, looking serious and a little too calm as he fiddled with his glasses. "We shouldn't just grab people be-because they're different."

Tony looked properly chastised. "I didn't mean it like that, you know I didn't-"

"I do think we should find out more about him," Steve interrupted. Stark and Banner would have to work this out later. "So we can make an informed plan of action." He glanced at Banner, "Even if the plan is to do nothing." Bruce nodded and put his glasses back on, turning back to the screen.

"We need intel." Steve looked to the two spies in the room. "Find out what his play is."

"On it," Romanov spun on her heel. "He seems to come out at night, I'll map the areas he's most likely to show up." She glanced at Barton as she passed. "You'll like this, he tends to travel by rooftop."

"You seem awfully informed," Stark called after her. "Looking for a new mate?"

"I'm assuming we're keeping Fury out of this?" Barton asked, heaving himself up to follow her and ignoring Stark.

"As much as we're able," Steve nodded staring at the screen. "I don't want to throw an ally to the wolves accidentally."

As much as they all worked for SHIELD, none trusted the organization to do the right thing without prompting.


	2. Party Crasher

"I should've stayed downstairs," Steve muttered.

He'd squirreled himself away to a dark corner of the bar, relying on his old battle instincts to protect him. He had a wall to his back and a full view of the top floor room Stark was hosting the party in. He was billing it as the first and last time for visitors to see the exclusive penthouse. After this party only the bottom twenty floors would be accessible to the general public, and that only by employees of Stark and invited guests.

A woman walked by in a dress that had a back open right down to the curve of her rear and he took a quick sip of the coke in his hand to hide his reaction. He still wasn't used to the clothing of this era. Hardly any of the men were wearing ties, and their shirts were untucked, and their pants were all too big. Except, he thought watching a young man pass by, when they were ridiculously tight.

He felt out of place in his dress uniform, overdressed and awkward. He shifted his shoulders in the stiff fabric, he hadn't had a chance to break it in. It was actually a replica, Stark had it made for the event. It was anachronistic, frankly a bit disrespectful, and he wasn't exactly in the service any more. But he didn't have much choice. Besides the shield any of his possessions that had survived to modern day been relegated to museums and personal collections. It was a little disturbing when Clint showed him an online auction for one of his old helmets going for half a million dollars. His wardrobe consisted of a couple of T-shirts and jeans and his uniform, all 'gifts' from Shield.

"C-can I have your autograph?" A pretty blonde, a bit on the skinny side, tottered over to him in a short dress that looked to him more like underwear and a pair of shoes that looked like torture devices.

"Oh, uh, sure..." Steve took a breath, put his soda on the bar and reminded himself that everyone here had paid a lot of money for a meet and greet with the majority of the Avengers... Bruce had been the only one excused, due to his condition. And that Stark had promised to match all money raised. And the money was going to go to help rebuilding some of the less affluent areas of the city. He glanced to her hands. She had a pen... "Have something for me to sign?

"Yeah," she smiled, cat-like, and leaned forward pressing herself against him. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and moved a spaghetti strap to the side. She pressed the pen into his hand. "Me."

"Ma'am!" Steve tried to back up, but his plan had backfired and now the wall and bar were penning him in.

"Put your clothes on, Crystal." A wry voice piped up from behind the woman. "Steve, we need you for some publicity shots."

Pepper had never looked more like an angel to Steve. "Right away, Miss Potts." He started to edge away from the woman.

"I've told you a million times, call me Pepper, Steve."

"My name isn't Crystal," the woman pouted, clutching at his arm. "And I don't have his autograph yet."

"Oh, sorry, Tiffany? No? Amber? No? No. Okay, I'm out of party girl names." Pepper shook her head. "Whatever."

She plucked a cocktail napkin from the bar and handed it to Steve. He quickly scrawled his name, long practiced at autographs from his performing monkey days, and thrust it at the brazen woman.

"Ma'am," he said with a firm nod and walked past her to take Pepper's waiting arm. He waited until they were out of earshot, which wasn't long withe pounding noise Stark claimed was "music" piping through the speakers. "Promotional photos? I thought we took those earlier."

Stark had suited up, Natasha and Clint looked dangerous in formal wear versions of their battle outfits. Natasha's belt was encrusted with red crystals, Clint had complained bitterly that he hadn't gotten any new bling on his. Stark settled him down with the promise of a new bow. They'd even dressed up Bruce in a lab coat and pulled out a big cardboard figure of the Hulk for him to stand in front of. They had to take two sets of photos, one with Steve in his Captain America uniform (a new one, again) and one with him in his dress uniform. Stark had stepped out of his suit in a tailored tux for those shots. It had been nothing short of torture, and it was an experience he wasn't ready to repeat any time soon.

"No worries," Pepper said leaning into his arm briefly. "Candids only for the rest of the night. I just thought you looked like you needed a rescue."

"Thanks for having my back, Miss-" He ducked his head and quickly corrected himself. "Pepper."

"Hey! Hey! No canoodling with my Pep!" Stark said coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her stomach. He physically lifted her away from Steve and twirled her in his arms. "This shing-ding is great, good job."

She turned and gave her boss boyfriend a peck on the cheek. "Oh? Do I get a 100% credit for this one? I notice plenty of additions to this party I didn't plan." She cast a significant glance towards a bevy of 'party girls' along the style of 'Crystal.' They squealed and waved when they saw both Tony Stark and Steve Rogers glance their way.

"Every party can use a few more decorations," Stark grinned and waved. "Besides, I figured Capsicle might want to finally melt a little and enjoy himself. Go get 'em, Eagle One." He punched Steve lightly on the shoulder. He hugged Pepper to him and jerked his chin towards the girls. "Ask one of 'em to dance."

"Thanks," Steve said through gritted teeth masquerading as a smile. This was a little too similar to incidents in his past, and it made his skin itch. Besides, he was uncomfortable with the way Stark was behaving.

The other man was well on his way to becoming drunk, and was being awfully hands-y with Miss Potts in public. He couldn't understand why Stark seemed to enjoy making such an ass of himself. But he wasn't the only one. He glanced at the "dance floor." It looked to him more like the people there were engaged in acts that should only happen in the bedroom, between two people who love each other.

"But, no thanks." He sighed and turned to Pepper. "I was thinking of retiring for the evening. It's starting to get late."

"It's not even midnight!" Stark protested. "It's early. Party Pooper."

"Tony!" She tried to pull away from him, but his arm around her waist restricted her movement. "I think it's okay, Steve," Pepper reached out and patted him on the arm.

Stark pulled her closer again and frowned at her and they traded funny faces back and forth, a whole conversation in expressions that Steve couldn't follow. He shifted and looked around, feeling like an intruder on a private moment.

"Yeah, whatever," Stark said with a sniff after one very pinched look from Pepper. "Go watch Matlock or something, Old Man." He gave Pepper an affectionate peck on her neck and disentangled himself from her. "I'm going to go set up Senator Davidson with a few decorations, might make getting permission for a helipad a bit easier." He turned in a circle and walked away backwards from them. "Of course, it might be even easier if the Living Legend here was willing to schmooze a little. You know, the _other_ Living Legend. The one besides me. Not naming any names. Okay, just one. _Steve_."

"Good luck," Pepper called as Stark and turned stalked away. She turned back to Steve. "Go on, I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to be either. Clint disappeared hours ago, and Natasha-"

"Oh! Oh! Wait!" Stark came prancing back waving his hands. "I almost forgot, I promised to introduce you. Don't go yet, Gramps!"

"Tony," Pepper started to scold, then saw who followed him. "Oh, Rhodey!" She broke into a huge smile for the lanky black soldier, also dressed in dress uniform. "I didn't know you could make it tonight."

"I just got here and I'm only here for a short while. I'm just in town for the night then they've got me on the move again." He took her two hands in his and kissed her on the cheek.

Steve glanced at the man's chest. He was well decorated, a man who had seen action. He still didn't know much about the wars that had followed his, but he knew that war certainly hadn't gotten easier in the decades since.

"You've got to come by next time you're on leave, it's been too long."

"Yeah, we'll make a party out of it. Cook up some steaks." Stark grinned. He glanced at Steve when he shifted again. "Right. Introductions." He waggled some fingers between his friend and Steve. "Captain America... meet a true American hero. Rhodey." He made a face at Rhodey. "You know who he is, right?" He jerked a thumb at Steve. "I mean, who doesn't?"

"You're terrible at introductions, man," Rhodey said with a shake of his head and a familiar exasperation.

"He is, but I'm not," Pepper said, shaking her head. "Captain Steve Rogers, this is a very good friend of Tony and mine, Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes."

"Rhodey," the man said, holding out a hand and looking at Steve with a sense of awe that made him uncomfortable. "It's an honor, Sir."

"Steve," the blond said, giving the man a firm handshake. "And the honor is mine. Always a pleasure to meet a man who serves his country." From the number of bars and medals, this man had made a living out of it. Not an easy life to live.

"I'd be honored to buy you a drink," Rhodey's voice isn't quite stable. "My father used to tell me stories about you, and your team."

"Dude, open bar," Stark broke in between them. "Besides, Iceblock doesn't drink."

"Tony!" Rhodey sighed. Stark started to open his mouth again.

"I will take a cola," Steve interrupted. It was a little thing to do for a person, and it looked like it would mean a lot to the man.

"Great," Stark said clapping both of them on the back. "I'll get the drinks. You guys find a table." He pointed at Steve, "Let me guess. No ice?" He didn't wait for an answer stalking off into the room.

Pepper found them a quiet corner with a small table and had them drinks way before Tony returned. Stark had of course gotten distracted along the way, he was in his element at a party. The frenetic atmosphere seemed to charge him as much as it drained Steve. He'd gone into the crowd to get drinks and ended up lost in it for at least an hour.

For that hour, it was the first time since he woke up that Steve was actually enjoying himself a little. Pepper and Rhodey were both good and genuine people. They'd obviously been friends for a long time, and Pepper was quick to set Rhodey at ease in his childhood idol's presence.

Once the man relaxed, and the shine wore off, the he was as easy to talk to as Pepper. He, like many others, was quickly amazed by how little Steve knew of the common era. They took to comparing war stories, not the serious ones...not anything about great losses or wins. Fun stories. Stories about things that could only happen in the army, when you were crammed with too many men in too small a space, and stories of the familiar pain of boot camp then and now...

"Thought you were going to bed," Stark said, coming by with refills. He grinned as he handed Steve his.

When Steve sipped it he could tell it was spiked. Cute. Not that it mattered, he didn't drink because the alcohol didn't have an effect on him and the taste wasn't something he found pleasing. But he was pretty sure that Stark didn't know that.

When Stark started to join them, Steve decided he'd had enough. He didn't have quite the low opinion of Stark he'd had before the battle with Loki. The man had proved himself a true hero of the highest caliber, able to do what needed to be done no matter the sacrifice. But he still didn't exactly like the guy. He couldn't understand him, or suss out his motives. And he was just so..

So..

Stark.

He didn't understand how a man so abrasive and self-absorbed had such good people as Rhodey and Pepper as friends. There was something he wasn't seeing. He didn't know if he had the patience to find out what it was. He knew for sure he didn't have it tonight.

"Aw, time to take your Metamucil?" Tony said as Steve started to stand.

He didn't understand the reference, but he assumed it was another prod at his 'advanced' age. Stark had been on the same subject since they'd met. "Ye-

"Sir." JARVIS interrupted. "Mr. Barton has an urgent message."

"Put it through," Tony and Steve spoke in unison.

Stark frowned at Rogers. "That's ___my_AI you're ordering about."

"Something's happening on the roof." Clint's voice cut off any response from Steve.

"What kind of something?" Steve asked, already moving towards the balcony.

"Pep." Steve glanced back at the seriousness of Stark's tone. "Get these people out of here, and stay back."

She started to shake her head in denial but he made another one of his faces at her and her shoulders slumped. She pressed her finger to her ear, "Security, I need you," she said and strode away back into the party. She glanced back at Stark. "Stay safe."

"I'll help," Rhodey said and followed her.

"Hawkeye," Steve said focusing back on getting outside. "What kind of _something?"_

___"O-M-G, Captain America."_

"What?" Steve asked, looking around. Had he missed something?

"I'm thinking he's talking about the light show." Stark had followed him out the doors and was already looking up. He stroked his bracelet. "I don't want to call it while there are still people in the room."

___"Iron Man!"_

"Not a good idea right now, Clint," Stark said blowing a raspberry.

"What?" Clint asked.

JARVIS's speakers were doing a number on Clint's voice, making him go soft and loud randomly. ___That's not like Stark technology,_Steve thought. "Too much chance of an accident," he explained.

The newest version of the suit could be called from any level of the tower, and would exit from the nearest accessible port. The current nearest accessible port was just behind the bar.

It had seemed a good idea at the time.

Those thoughts were secondary to the idea that they might want to get back under cover quickly... because it really looked like lightening might hit the tower at any moment. There were some very interesting rainbow colored clouds forming a strange funnel shape. It was not quite a tornado, and the clouds were moving at an odd pace, both too fast and too slow to be natural.

Before he could voice the thought there was a loud crack of thunder and lightening spread like veins across the sky.

"This seems a little familiar," Stark said. "Maybe we should-"

There was a second crack of thunder, loud enough to force Steve down to one knee in surprise and a concussive blast that kept him there. Stark fell flat on his back.

"COMRADES IN ARMS!" The booming voice could only be coming from one person. "I HAVE RETURNED TO MIDGARD!" Thor, in full battle regalia, stepped over and clasped Steve's arm and pulled him to his feet with a grin. He turned and did the same for Stark who had made it to one knee at that point. He looked past the two men into the room still crowded with people, most of whom were gawking at the window.

"A celebration?" He shook his long hair over his shoulder and clapped a heavy arm around each of the men and gave them a squeeze. "Is this in honor of my return? But how did you know? Perhaps you have used one of your magic screens to look into the future, friend Stark?"

"Uh, they don't really work that way, L'Oreal." Stark pushed Thor's arm off his shoulder with an affectionate pat. "So what brings you down to Earth, Fabio? Alien destruction squad or gotta pose for another book cover?"

"You speak so strangely, friend," Thor hooked his thumbs into his belt and looked down at the two men with a furrow between his brows. "Am I not welcome in the Tower Avenger? I have been following its progress with the aid of Heimdall, who had said that all my brave companions from the battle with my brother were now residing together here. I thought you awaited my arrival."

"So no invasion then," Stark said and a little bit of tension seeped out of both him and Steve. "And yeah, of course you're welcome here, Muscles. You just caught us by surprise."

"EXCELLENT!" Thor cheered and slapped them, each hard between the shoulder blades. "Let us celebrate my return with drink and good cheer!"

___"Thor. Wow, Thor!"_

"And who is this?" Thor asked, looking at a point halfway up the peak of the building. "A new companion?"

"What? That's just-" Steve looked up expecting to see Clint perched somewhere in the beams of the building.

Instead, pressed up against the wall of the building was Spider-man, holding a little point and shoot camera.

___"Uh..."_Spider-man said, his voice muffled by the suit. He lowered the camera. ___"Hi."_

Barton dropped out of nowhere to land in front of them in full battle gear. He had his bow drawn and cocked at the man somehow stuck to the side of the building like a real spider. Natasha was suddenly there as well, positioned slightly in front of Stark, pistols drawn.

___"Wow. It's...uh...all of you."_He raised his camera and snapped a picture. _"____Wait, someone's missing...where's the Hulk? I'd looove to get a group shot."_

"JARVIS, find an unobstructed path and get the suit to me. Now." Stark stepped back and away from the rest of the group.

"Right away, Sir," JARVIS replied.

"Is this a new foe?" Thor asked spreading his feet into a more stable position and grasping Mjolnir's handle. "He is quite tiny."

___"Hey! I'm not looking for trouble,"_Spider-man said quickly, raising his other hand. ___"I'm just a fan."_He waggled the camera. ___"Sorry for crashing the party."_

He was small, Steve reflected. Up close, Spider-man couldn't have been too much larger than his own pre-serum days. The voice sounded young too, which made him wonder exactly what they were facing. Behind him he heard Stark's suit snapping into place, transforming him into Iron Man. Spider-man backed up a little and snapped another picture.

___"Whoa. Cool."_

"Why don't you come down here," Steve called. This was getting ridiculous. One man had some of the world's most powerful fighters huddled together like a bunch of scared sheep.

"Cap," Romanov said under her breath, just loud enough for the huddled Avengers to hear. "At least one news source has been claiming him to be dangerous. I don't know if you want to offer to sign autographs for him."

"At least not while you're unarmed," Barton agreed, keeping his arrow trained on Spider-man.

Steve suddenly realized that the group had shifted so that he was at its center. Hawkeye and Widow in front of him, Thor and Iron Man flanked at each side. He wasn't used to other people shielding him.

"Can you call your shield to you?" Thor asked. "You may have need of it if this becomes a battle."

"Let's try to prevent that," Steve said firmly. Spider-man was fidgeting on the wall, making tiny moves backwards. "Come down now."

"Yeah," Stark said. "Come down and join the party."

___"I thought this was a private party,"_Spider-man said. ___"I wouldn't want to intrude."_He backed up a few more inches and compressed himself closer to the building as if trying to meld with it.

"Come down before I shoot you down." Barton pulled his bow taunt.

___"Hey now,"_Spider-man said, letting his camera dangle from it's wrist strap_, _as he raised his hands. ___"Let's talk-"_

"Watch the hands-" Black Widow started, but it was too late. Spider-man twisted his wrists and white streams of a sticky something shot out.

Thor grabbed Steve and twisted, shielded him with his body. "What manner of strangeness is this?" He said trying to shake off the strands and only succeeding in gluing his cape to his face with the stuff and his hair to the back of his neck. He tore at his cape trying to get an unobstructed view.

Natasha had rolled to the side, and Clint hadn't been in the line of fire allowing him to loose an arrow. It struck where the Spider-man had been just a moment before, and gave a bright burst of light.

"Fast little bugger," Stark said launching himself into the air to chase the man scrabbling further up and away from them. "I'm faster."

___"Hey now,"_Spider-man called over his shoulder. ___"Is this really necessary? I just wanted a few pictures."_

"What for?" Natasha changed his trajectory with a bullet directly in his path. "Who are you working for?"

___"Um, me?"_Spider-man said, jumping out of Iron Man's reach almost carelessly, once and then twice. It made Stark look like a cat grabbing for a string. Spider-man perched on a ledge and craned his neck at Iron Man who was angling for another grab. ___"I thought you said you were faster."_

"Enough of playtime," Stark said shortly and lifted his hand. The light on his hand started to brighten.

___"Hey now!" _Spider-man yelled in a panic and lifted his own hand. The thin man shot a moment quicker than Stark, and his hand became encased in thick white webbing.

"Yeah. That's not good-" Stark said and then his hand blew up. He went spiraling backwards in the air, over the ledge of the building.

"Thor, catch him!" Steve yelled and the huge man leaned backwards and began to swing his hammer. "Natasha, Clint, pin him down!" He pointed at Spider-man.

They immediately complied, both shooting off a volley of ammo that the man improbably managed to avoid while shooting out two streams of webbing at Iron Man. The ropes of webbing caught the spiraling Iron Man on a shoulder and a knee before Thor could launch himself for a rescue. Spider-man tugged with a grunt.

___"Whoa,"_Spider-man gasped. ___"Time to lay off the sweets, man. You're heavy."_

Switching both strands to one hand he shot out a wide net of webbing between the architecture of the building. Stark landed in the net and stuck, looking for all the world like a red-and-yellow fly stuck on a web.

___"Sorry about all this,"_Spider-man said, sounding out of breath. He shot out a hand, a stream of webbing arched into the air and then he was swinging away.

Clint stood and followed the man soaring on the line with his bow, shooting arrow after arrow. But before any could hit, the man would shoot out another line of webbing and narrowly avoid each shot.

"How is the little shit doing that?" Hawkeye muttered standing and refusing to waste more arrows.

"Should I follow him?" Thor asked, looking at Steve and hammer ready.

Steve shook his head. It was time to regroup. He turned to the man still stuck on the web. "Stark?"

"Yeah. Can't move." Stark sounded peeved. He was doing small fires of his repulsors, the one working hand and his feet, trying to pull himself free. All he accomplished was making the web flex and bounce.

"Your hand?" Steve swallowed. Was Stark in shock? He looked at the hand that had blown up, expecting to see a bloody stump.

"Fixable." Stark said and waggled fully formed fingers encased in a black rubbery glove at him and surrounded by twisted metal flowering around the arm. "Backfire was always a possibility, I planned for it. Worried, Cap?"

"Oh, thank god."

The face mask came up on the suit. "Hey! I told you to stay back," Stark said to Pepper.

Pepper stormed up to the web. "And I told you to stay safe!"

"I am safe!" Stark said kicking a little and making himself wobble. "Safe as houses. See?"

"You nearly went over the side!"

"Thor would've caught me. You remember Thor, right? Thor, Pepper." He waggled his fingers back and forth between them. "Pepper, Thor."

"Allow me to help you disembark," Thor said with a genial nod towards the woman. He still had a corner of his cap stuck to his face and hair, though he'd pushed it back over his head in a strange twist. He looked like he was wearing a red velvet burka. He stepped forward and grasped Stark's unexposed hand and tugged.

Stark didn't move. The web gave a little but relaxed right back into place when Thor stopped tugging. Thor frowned.

"Hold on," Stark began. "No, wait-"

Thor jerked back hard, stepping back and pulling Stark towards him. Unfortunately, the web merely flexed and stretched with him. Thor took a few more steps back.

"Hey! Mr. My Hammer is Smarter Than Me!" Stark started to sound panicked. His hand writhed in Thor's grip. "Ever hear of a slingshot?"

"Okay," Pepper said and reaching up and patting Thor on the shoulder. "I think you should stop now. Ew, what is this stuff?" She tried to pull her hand back but it was now stuck to his shoulder along with his cape and hair. She was dragged back with Thor as he continued to pull at Stark. "Stop! Stop now!"

"Thor!" Steve said, using his most commanding "army" voice. "Stop!"

"But I have not yet freed the Man of Ir-" When he stopped tugging and relaxed his arm physics took over and the web snapped back into place, carrying the surprised Norse god who still gripped Stark's hand with him. Pepper unfortunately was along for the ride.

"Pepper!" Stark yelled as the two were pulled off their feet and into the air to land in the web along side him. "Pepper!"

"I...I'm okay." Pepper said, her voice calm and serene. "I'm upside down. But I'm okay."

Clint, Natasha and Steve stared at the web, now holding Stark, Thor and Pepper in its clutches. Pepper was indeed upside down. Steve was just glad the woman was wearing one of her tight pencil skirts, and that the web had a good grip on it as well as her, holding it in place. Thor was caught face down and twisted in his cape, but seemed uninjured. Pepper's hand, still glued to his shoulder seemed almost comforting.

"I told you to stay back," Stark muttered.

"Don't. Even. Start." Pepper said.

Natasha turned on her heel. "I'm going to go get Banner."

"I'm going to get a camera," Clint said.

"Hey, Robin Hood!" Stark started struggling in the web again. "Don't you dare!"

"No need, Sir." JARVIS's cool slightly British voice managed to sound amused without any inflection at all. "This incident has been recorded in its entirety. I can make it available in the following formats, dvd, blu-ray, digital download, IMAX 3-D, Hologr-"

"Mute!" Stark yelled. "Traitor. I'm going to reprogram that bastard."

Steve looked around and snagged a patio chair. He slumped into it. He knew he should have stayed in his rooms tonight. He looked back at his teammates, and ran a tired hand down his face. "And we managed to save the world."

_Hello! Thanks for reading my story so far. I've been posting this to Tumblr but had some requests to put it in a place that would be easier to track. :) However, in order to post the chapters here, they need reformatting which is taking me a while. I put the link to my tumblr in my profile if you want to check out the other chapters I have. Or you can search tumblr for the tag "mysuperfamily" Thanks for the reviews, follows and likes so far. It's always encouraging to know there are people out there liking this._


	3. Sustenance

Thor was not a polite eater. He crammed the turkey sandwich in his mouth in two large bites.

"Another?" He asked hopefully around a mouthful.

"I guess I can go make more-" Steve started to get up, a little grateful for something to do.

"Here," Pepper said sliding hers around to Thor with her free hand, the other still attached to Thor's shoulder. She gave Steve a tight apologetic smile. "I'm not very hungry. The salad is plenty." She awkwardly stabbed at a tomato with her free hand.

The team had ended up convening in Bruce's lab while he examined the webs that still clung to Pepper and Thor. The guests were all gone, and the press handled, and it was some indeterminate hour of the early morning. They'd tried for hours to remove Stark, Pepper and Thor from the web, with no luck until it inexplicably dissolved on it's own. They'd taken Pepper and Thor down to Bruce's lab, and the others followed.

"I could have made you a sandwich," Stark sniffed. "I can make a suit that flies. I can make a sandwich. Or a salad."

"You probably would have put strawberries in it," Pepper snapped.

"You're never going to let that go-"

After a few hours of watching Banner and Stark bounce off each other as they tried to figure out the webs, Steve had taken Thor's complaints about needing sustenance as an excuse to escape for a few minutes. He'd had JARVIS lead him to the kitchen (A kitchen? There had to be more than one) and had made some sandwiches for everyone, and a salad for Miss Potts. She seemed to eat a lot of those he'd noticed. It was probably why she was so skinny. Plus chopping the lettuce and vegetables had been calming.

"This stuff is amazing," Bruce said from where he had his face buried in a complicated microscope.

When Thor raised his eyebrows at Banner's half eaten sandwich he passed it over without looking.

"Glad we're entertaining you," Stark snapped as he fiddled with what looked like a replacement for the hand of his suit. "Wouldn't want you to be bored." Pepper had told him to stop working on the webs when he'd gotten so frustrated that he'd thrown some very expensive equipment through a glass topped table. Steve didn't think much for Stark's impulse control.

Thor looked at Stark's untouched sandwich and quirked his eyebrows. Stark frowned and moved it out of reach of the large man.

Bruce raised his head just for a moment, giving the room a distracted, apologetic smile before disappearing back into the microscope. "I can't figure this stuff out. It's…It's quite ingenious… I can't find anything that will cut through it that wouldn't also be a danger to Miss Potts-"

"Pepper," she tiredly corrected.

"P-pepper," Bruce stumbled over her name. "But it's also showing signs of breaking down on it's own, like the web. I-I just don't know how much…mmm," He was distracted by something in his viewfinder, "Oh, that's… um, I don't know how much longer it will take. I have answered a few questions…"

"Is it biological?" Natasha asked, setting aside her Stark-Tablet. Clint stayed focused on his. It was showing a loop of Spider-man evading his arrows. None were willing to leave the lab until their teammates were free.

"Please say no," Pepper begged tiredly.

"No," Bruce gave another diffident smile, sitting up and straightening his back. "It's definitely a man-made polymer. It's composition keeps changing chemically, a slow but unsteady reaction. That's…that's why it's so hard to get a handle on. It does seem to take inspiration from spidersilk, the same way that Kevlar does. It's many small strong strands that wrap and …and weave together to make a much stronger hold. Each strand can bend and flex, and if one breaks it simply binds to another piece."

"Maybe we should use it to make you some pants." Stark snorted, "Or a least a shirt. You know, for those days when you're feeling a little… rage monster-y."

"That's… that's actually not a bad idea." Bruce's eyebrows drew together and he dove back into his microscope. "If I could figure out what it's made of-"

"So we're dealing with another freakin' genius," Clint muttered. "One with eyes in the back of his head. Great." He shifted in his seat, eyes still glued to the tablet. "Show me the news reports." The tablet began showing scenes of Spider-man, fighting cops, fighting crooks… Natasha shifted to look over his shoulder and they started a hushed conversation marking landmarks that showed up more than once. They were working on narrowing the areas the Spider-man tended to lurk.

"Don't pick at that," Pepper scolded Thor when he began to tug at the cape still stuck to his cheek. "You'll just end up scratching yourself." The skin was already irritated where he'd tried it before.

"It itches," Thor complained with a frown.

"That's a good sign," Bruce said, scribbling something down on his pad. "That means the chemical composition is changing again, and it will be breaking down soon."

"Oh good." Pepper said and rested her head against her arm (and by extension Thor's). "I'm going to sleep for a week." She made a face. "Wait. No, I'm not, there's a planning meeting tomorrow. At eight. Shoot."

"JARVIS," Tony said.

"Yes, Sir?"

"Cancel the planning meeting tomorrow. Any any meeting ever that is before ten AM. That should be a rule from now on."

"Yes, Sir."

"No! JARVIS!" Pepper tried to stand and was pulled back when she tried to step away from Thor. "Disregard!"

"Of course, Ma'am."

"Hey, you listen to her over me?" Stark griped.

"In business matters? Always."

"Traitor," Stark muttered. He stared hard at Pepper, "But I'm serious about tomorrow. Cancel it. It can wait."

She stared back at him, but this time she backed down first. "JARVIS, reschedule the planning meeting."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Stark smiled.

He glanced over at Thor, and one battle won he decided to start another. "So, Lady Lovelylocks, why did you decide to come back now?"

Thor glanced around as if Stark could be speaking to anyone else.

"Yeah, you," Stark put his glove down and faced the large man. "Why tonight? The tower's been done for a month. I got Bruce to stay during construction, Captain Spangle-Spanx moved in right after it was finished. And the Assassin Twins came only a week later. What took you so long?"

Thor looked at Natasha and Clint. "I did not know you were related."

"We aren't." Natasha said, shooting Thor a glare.

"Hey, avoiding the point!" Tony said snapping his fingers to get attention. "You said you were watching us, so you had to know that. Why now?"

"Is this important?" Steve said tiredly. He didn't sleep much these days, but it was getting close to five am. Stark looked like he could go for eight more hours. He didn't know where he got the energy.

"It's a fair question," Natasha said and cast a cool, considering glance at Thor. "From the SHIELD reports about travel between Asgard and Earth, it's difficult and power intensive… possibly impossible without use of something as powerful as the Tesseract."

"There are ways…" Thor said, shifting uncomfortably.

"But none of them easy," Stark interrupted. "And you can't just go home on a whim, can you? I thought you'd want to do some R&R in the mead hall before heading back here."

By now everyone was staring at Thor. Even Banner had pulled his head from his microscope long enough to listen in.

"My Father," Thor looked at his hands, and for a big man he suddenly looked very small, "The All-Father, handed down his judgment of Loki."

"Oh yeah? What did Chuckles get? Spanking by Daddy?" Stark's face was thunderous. Steve could see the shade of Coulson standing behind his back pressing down on all of them to ensure that a proper punishment was meted out to his killer.

"My brother is bound to a jagged rock in the deepest pit of Asgard with chains of iron, where everyday a venomous snake drips poison in his eyes. His eyes burn and melt, only to heal again so that it may happen again with the next drip of the snake's fangs. So he shall stay for all time, until he admits his wrong-doing and is suitably repentant for his actions."

There was a long beat of silence.

"I'm okay with that," Clint said.

Natasha nodded. "Yeah, that works."

It was Thor's turn to look angry. "Loki's deeds, both here and in Asgard, were evil and many. I do not begrudge you your need for vengeance. But," and he looked down again at his hands, and his shoulders slumped. He looked exhausted and silly with his cape stuck to his face and wrapped around his hair, "he was my brother, from birth my one and true companion. I loved him and did him wrong, in ways I did not understand until he became this twisted thing because of it. I could not see him thus."

Pepper leaned against the shoulder she was stuck to and patted him with her free hand.

"So you ran away to Earth," Stark said.

"Yes," Thor said simply.

"Okay," Stark shrugged, and handed him his sandwich.

Thor took it and nibbled at it's edges, appetite apparently lost.

"Pepper," said Stark, and Steve wondered if he could even be quiet for five minutes.

"What _now_, Tony?"

"Your hand is smoking." He looked over at Banner. "Should it be doing that? Is it okay that it's doing that?"

"Does it hurt?" Steve jumped to his feet and everyone took a step closer.

"It's dissolving!" Banner said, pulling out his slide and looking at the smoking goop that was starting to drip off of it. He slid it back under and went back to examining it.

"Oh!" Pepper lifted her hand and the now goopy webbing stretched with her. "I think I can almost-" She pulled her hand back and the goop slid off in drips on to the floor. "Napkin?" She asked stepping away from Thor.

Steve handed the one he hadn't used when he'd eaten his own sandwich and she quickly wiped her hand clean of the remnants of the spider web.

"Do me a favor?" She asked the room. Everyone looked at her expectantly. "When you catch the little Spider, kick him once for me? Right in the shins."

"Sure thing, Pep," Stark nodded.

"Thanks. I'm going to bed," she sighed. She looked at Thor. "Want me to show you your floor?"

"Thank you," the large man said, standing and peeling the cape from his face and finger combing his hair to try and get the last of the goop out. "Is there a bathing chamber there?"

"Yes, fully stocked," she hooked her arm through his and led him out. "Can I ask what you usually use on your hair. It's got great body-" The door closed behind them.

"That's my cue," Clint said stretching. "Spider only comes out after dark, so I'll be heading out at dusk." He glanced at Natasha. "You coming with me, Tasha?"

"Mmm," She said watching one last loop of Spider-man heading away from the tower on her tablet before looking up. "I think we should start with Brooklyn." She nodded to the room, "Night, Cap. Bruce." She and Barton filed out of the room.

"I don't get a good night?" Stark called as the doors were closing.

"Good night, Tony." Bruce said with a yawn. "My samples have all dissolved, and JARVIS is calculating the data."

"Is that a hint?"

"No, it's me telling you directly to get out of my lab so I can go to bed," Bruce tucked his hands in his pockets. "I can..get a little…mmm…" He shrugged, "cranky if I don't get enough sleep."

"Oh. Really?" Stark looked interested. "How cranky?"

"Out," Banner said firmly.

"Fine." Stark grabbed his glove and started out. "Coming, Cap? It's way past your bedtime."

Steve looked up from where he was gathering together the sandwich plates. "Yes, I just want to wash these."

"Okay, Mom," Stark said, rolling his eyes. "You know I have robots for that."

"I don't mind doing them," Steve shrugged. He didn't know how clean a robot could really get a plate.

"C'mon," Stark grabbed the plates from his hand and stormed out of the lab.

"Goodnight," Steve said to Bruce as he hurried to catch up.

"Night," Bruce replied, shaking his head. He turned out the lights to the lab and retreated to the simple bedroom on the other side of it.

"This way, Sir." JARVIS didn't wait to be asked this time. He lit up some panels down one side of the hall. "The elevator will take you to your floor."

"Where did Stark go?" Steve asked, looking over his shoulder. He'd disappeared.

"Mr. Stark has returned to his lab." A door opened and there was an elevator inside it.

"Doesn't he ever sleep?" Steve asked as he stepped inside. The elevator started moving down, and he was startled. He thought his rooms were above Bruce's. This place confused him terribly.

"Not as much as he should, Sir."

Steve didn't know what to say to that, so he didn't say anything.

"Your floor."

Steve stepped out and blinked. Floor. Pepper had said something about Thor having a floor too.

"JARVIS…" he said trying to figure out exactly how to ask this. "Are all the rooms on this floor…mine?"

"Yes, Sir." Steve really wanted to know it managed to sound surprised without any inflections. "You didn't realize?"

"No…" He looked down the hallway at the doors he'd assumed would be rented out to other Stark employees, or maybe used to house future Avengers (he doubted Fury would be happy with this small a team). The door he went through led to a 1940's style boxing gym, similar to the one that SHIELD had housed him in. And on the left of that a one bedroom apartment. He'd have to explore the other rooms at some point. He didn't know what Stark expected him to do with all the space.

He wasn't like Bruce, he didn't need that big of a work area, or a shooting range like Clint. He wondered what Natasha did with all her extra space. It seemed somehow appropriate for Thor. Did Pepper have her own floor too? Or did she share Stark's?

Steve shook his head. He was just going to take a shower and forget about it for the night.

But he found he couldn't turn his brain off that easily as he settled into his narrow cot. He lay in bed and his eyes wandered over his room, cataloging: Army issue bed, like the ones he'd been sleeping on during basic… but with a much better mattress and a softer blanket. A simple night stand with a clock with a face, not a glow-y digital one. A beat-up wooden dresser, with a doily on top and a china plate as a 'catch all.' A square mirror with a plain wooden frame hung above it. The room was comfortable… familiar.

Steve realized that there was a reason he liked to stick to his quarters. It reminded him of 'home,' his old apartment of Brooklyn. The walls were eggshell, with a border of blue stripes. The floor was wood, but not shiny or new. He found most modern rooms to feel too big and painted in garish colors, but this room had a lower ceiling and muted shades. There weren't any windows, none of the interior rooms had them. But there was a screen that was programmed to look like one. It matched the time of day and weather outside.

He rolled over and looked at it. It was showing pre-dawn grey light, and it looked like it might be a rainy day today. Stark had said he'd added the screens because human brains needed a sense of nature, environment, in order to feel comfortable. But it didn't show a picture of modern New York, something Steve hadn't really noticed before.

It was a smaller skyline, a less glossy and sleek one. And it wasn't even the right part of New York. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought it was the street he grew up on. He turned away from the window screen.

"JARVIS?"

"Would you like a bed-time story, Sir? Some hot milk?"

Steve sighed. Pepper had explained to him that JARVIS wasn't a real person somewhere hidden in the tower, but an artificial intelligence that Stark had created. He didn't know if he always believed it. Sometimes he thought everyone was playing an elaborate prank on him, and some day a panel would open and a droll Englishman would pop out and introduce himself.

"Who designed my room?"

There was a long pause, as if JARVIS was choosing his words.

"I believe it is a replica of a Gimbel Brother's showroom piece, with some slight modifications. I don't believe the designer was named."

"No," Steve sighed, rolling on his back and staring at the ceiling. He was certain JARVIS had known what he was asking. "Who chose to decorate my room this way, with the pictures… and everything?"

"Mr. Stark employed several designers who worked on interior design. I believe the name of the designer for this room was Claudon."

"So it was Claudon who decided to make it look like…when I'm from?" Steve asked, certain that JARVIS was playing word games now, and what kind of machine did that?

"I believe that decision was made in the planning stages, and Claudon was hired for that purpose."

"Who made the plans?"

"The planning board, Sir."

The muscles of Steve's whole body were one big knot. What the heck was JARVIS trying to hide?

"And who," he bit out, "was on the planning board?"

There was a long pause that made Steve imagine the hidden Englishman perhaps adjusting a monocle as he tried to think of a way to avoid answering.

"The executive board."

Bastard.

"And who is on the executive board?"

Another long pause, but finally the answer he'd already come to suspect. "Mr. Anthony Stark. Miss Pepper Potts." Another pause. "Will that be all, Sir?"

"Yes," Steve mumbled, and rolled over. "Thanks."

Stark had designed this. Pepper was a very nice woman, but in that partnership Stark was the idea man and she was his go-to girl. He thought it up, figured out how to make it, she made sure it got done right.

Steve rolled his shoulders and settled deeper into the mattress, and stared at the American Flag framed under glass on the opposite wall. He hadn't thought much of Stark's offer to move in the Avenger's tower. He'd agreed more to get away from staying at SHIELD, where every agent looked like him like he was some sort of God and whispered whenever he passed.

But this room had been conceived of, planned, designed, made, all before Stark had made the casual offer after one of the seemingly never-ending debriefing meetings at SHIELD.

"C'mon… it'll be fun. Bruce is already there. It'll be like a clubhouse." They stood outside of Stark's private jet, which was refueling for the ride home.

"Banner stuck around?" He hadn't been to the meetings, so Steve had assumed he'd disappeared to some far off climate again. He wondered if SHIELD knew. That was a stupid question. Of course SHIELD knew.

"Yeah, we've been making science together."

"Is that what you call it?" Pepper asked coming down the narrow walkway. "I call it making a mess. They've blown up two labs."

"I've got more," Stark grinned at her. "The tower has… how many floors?"

"More than you need," Pepper rolled her eyes. "Sign this." She held out a blue folder.

"What's this?" Stark asked but was already signing.

"Do you really care?" Pepper asked. She looked up at Stark with a smile, and then glanced at Steve. "You really should come. I could use someone to talk to that doesn't speak in equations all the time."

"I'll think about it," Steve said, but he'd ended up on the flight back to the Tower unable to resist the power duo. Plus, it pissed off Fury when he'd been pulled into the conversation. He'd been a bit uncomfortable when Stark and Pepper looked shocked at his one suitcase, his bike and the shield strapped to his back.

"That's it?" Stark had asked. Steve just nodded. He'd never been a rich man, and he didn't expect he ever would be but he felt that old childhood shame of not being dressed quite right among his friends. For once, Stark didn't poke fun or quip. "Great, we can make it in one trip. Load 'er up boys."

The conversation had seemed so casual, so unscripted and unplanned. Steve shifted uncomfortably, starting to drift to sleep despite his efforts. What was Stark playing at?


	4. Intelligence Report

The second meeting they had about Spider-man wasn't in the Family room. This meeting was regulated to one of the big rooms with the terminals and the long meeting table. They'd barely kept it from Fury that one scrawny man in a unitard had taken down his elite Avengers. No one wanted to be there when he found out, especially if they didn't know anything other than he was some guy in a mask. And more than that, for a lot of them it was personal now.

Stark start could be set to "Stark Raving Mad" by just pulling up a photo of him stuck on the web. Plus, Pepper had been on that web, upside down, for ___hours. _You didn't mess with Pepper and not expect unholy retribution from Stark, and the other Avengers were quickly coming to feel the same way. They'd even involved her in this meeting, she had as much right as anyone to get her pound of flesh.

Barton and Romanov… the Spider-man had managed to foil every one of their super spy ways. In the past month they'd had a couple of close run-ins as they tried to track him, but he'd always gotten away. Barton hadn't been able to hit so much as the man's shadow and he was not. taking. it. Well.

Thor was just eager to fight a worthy foe. Stark's armor was heavy, and Spider-man had pulled him in one handed. Spider-man might look puny compared to the Asgardian, but Thor was eager to test his mettle. The longer they took to find him, the more time Thor spent in the large training hall Stark had built for him. Steve was starting to worry that Thor wouldn't hold back when they did find him, which could be deadly for Spider-man.

It wasn't as urgent for Steve. Sure, he wanted to figure out the mystery of the Spider-man. The newspapers were split on the matter, some naming him the newest masked hero to the city, others claiming him a villain with a body toll. But there wasn't anything out there that was for 'sure.' Even the police currently only wanted him on 'questioning.' Steve wanted him firmly sorted into friend or foe, but he didn't want revenge. The rest of the team did, with the exception of Banner, who just wanted to pick Spider-man's brain about that compound. It made Steve nervous.

"We've found him," Romanov said with a faint, satisfied smile.

"About friggin' time," Stark muttered. "Some super spies…"

"I'm telling you," Barton snapped, "That kid's got some kind of pre-cog! There's no other answer for it!"

"Pre-cog?" Steve asked.

"Precognitive abilities," Banner said, "Psychic abilities that allow a person to see the future."

"Is that a thing now?" Steve said, sitting up straight. "I know Hitler was working on something like that-"

"It's not!" Stark interrupted. "Bird-boy just doesn't want to admit that he's met his match."

"Fuck you!" Barton slammed his hand down on the table. "You've watched the same intel I have, the little bastard reacts ___before _I even shoot!"

Stark blew a raspberry and pulled a face, rolling his eyes. "Sure-"

"We're getting off topic, people!" Steve said standing. Barton and Stark both sat back in their chairs. Stark twisted his lip in a mocking sneer and made a point of turning to Steve and giving him is full attention. Barton just gave a glare and tore off the top sheet of the paper pad he'd brought along in apparent stress relief. Satisfied the two would be quiet for the moment, Steve looked at Romanov. "Continue."

She nodded and flicked a picture off of her stark tablet onto one of the big screens. "At approximately 8 pm last night we discovered this bundle webbed to a wall in Queens, inside the identified hot spot of Spider-man activity." She flicked another photo. "We debated leaving it alone and waiting for the Spider-man returned, but given our track record in containing him-"

"OW!" Stark clapped a hand to the side of his face. "Hey! You saw that right?" He pointed at Barton.

Steve looked over at the other man, who's hand moved off the table, clutching what looked like a paper blowgun.

"That's unfair!" Stark said pointing at him. "I'm not in my suit. I'm unarmed!"

"Clint," Romanov said with a glare before Steve could say anything.

"Yeah," He nodded, unapologetic. "Go on, Tash."

"Hey-"

"One. More. Word-" Romanov said to Stark, "And I will send Fury a still of you on that web."

Stark sat back and tried to look contrite. "He started it."

Romanov flicked to a new screen, calling up her email. She hadn't gotten past " 02 " when Stark was making faces and miming that he'd be silent.

Satisfied with the change, she picked up as if she'd never left. "We decided to examine the bundle, we were able to draw the items out through a small opening, and we believe he was unaware of our examination. Inside we found a one t-shirt, one flannel long-sleeved shirt, and pair of jeans, sneakers and a backpack-"

"So we know he doesn't know that grunge is dead-" Stark started, but mimed a zipper over his lip.

Romanov just raised an eyebrow at him. He was quiet for all of two seconds before miming "unzipping" himself and asking. "But what does this matter?"

"We also found one wallet," Barton drawled.

"With ID," Romanov said to a now silent and attentive room. She flicked her hand across the screen, and a new picture took its place, a high school ID. "Meet Spider-man."

"Jesus," Stark said softly.

"He's just a kid," Steve said.

"He's a ___baby,_" Pepper corrected. "According to his birth date… he's only 14!"

"A-are you sure this is him?" Banner asked, putting his glasses on and peering down at his own Stark tablet that was mirroring the large screen. "This Peter Parker?"

Romanov cast him a glance as if you say, 'are you kidding?' before continuing. "We hacked into the high school's database and staked out his home from a safe distance."

She flicked again, and this time a video feed started. It was pre-dawn, birds were chirping and all the houses were dark. Along the street a young man walks, carrying a backpack and yawning. He glanced around and turns down the path to a house.

"So we know he lives there and he stays out late. That doesn't prove any-" Stark started.

Instead of going to the front door of the brownstone, the scrawny young man gave another glance around and then scaled the wall up to a second story room, Spidey-style.

"Oh."

The room was silent for a beat.

"I saw a Midgardian entertainment where children were able to perform magic, is-"

"Harry Potter isn't real, Thor," Potter said and patted him on the arm. "That's not normal."

"I've done some research…" Banner murmured, almost to himself, as he flicked through the information on Parker Romanov and Barton had compiled. "… there have been some stories surfacing about a spontaneous mutation that seems to be occurring primarily in teenagers…"

"Mutation?" Steve prompted when the Doctor fell silent as he examined his screen.

"A…A change at the cellular level, causing radical deformities to ap-appear, sometimes a complete change in appearance," he tapped his tablet and then flicked up and a before and after picture popped up of a boy, the first photo a normal boy, the second the same boy with green skin and yellow lizard like eyes. "Some rumors say a portion of th-those afflicted gain super abilities." He tossed up another photo, this one grainy of a boy who seemed to be shooting some sort of energy beam from his eyes, destroying a stand of trees.

"So this kid might be a mutant?" Stark asked. "What causes it?"

"Th-the rumors are unconfirmed, but puberty seems to be a trigger. He's…he's the right age."

Steve stood again, his mind whirling a how strange the world had become in his absence. "But it's less important to find out ___how _he can do what he does, than it is to find out ___why._" He reminded them. "Is he a hero or a villain?"

"Hello!" Stark waved his hand. "Did you forget? He attacked our tower! What are you, getting senile?"

"He didn't attack it," Steve reminded him. "He took some pictures and then ran away when we caught him."

"Pictures he ___sold _to the Bugle!" Stark yelled. The Daily Bugle had scooped the world with its spread on the return of Thor, complete with a photo of a surprised group of Avengers looking up. The fact that Barton had been pointing his arrows at the photographer hadn't gone unnoticed, and had taken some fast talking to SHIELD to let it drop. Stark had claimed it was a flying camera drone, which he was then forced to invent as proof.

"So?" Steve asked, exasperated. He was getting sick of Tony's anger over a bit of pride lost. He wasn't thinking rationally about all this.

"SO that makes him a Paparazzi! And all Paparazzi are evil! Ergo-" Tony paused for dramatic effect, miming with his hands from one side to the other, "Spider-man is evil!"

"What?" Steve asked, "A pepperoni?"

"Paparazzi are aggressive photographers who stalk and take pictures of celebrities and sell them for money." Pepper explained. "They are pretty evil."

"Please don't you start, Pepper," Steve sighed.

"I'm not saying Peter is," Pepper corrected.

"Peter?" Stark said sitting back. "We're on a first name basis with Mr. Parker, are we?"

"He's a ___baby,_" Pepper repeated. "And Steve's right-"

"Of course he is," Stark said throwing up his hands, "He's ___Captain-Fucking-America! _Of course he's always ___right!"_

"Captain," Thor said turning to Steve, confusion clear on his broad face. "Are you one of these "pre-cogs" of which Friend Barton spoke of-"

"No, Thor," Steve said tiredly. "And I'm not always right." He sent a glare at Tony. "What else do we know about this kid-" He held up a hand before anyone could start talking. "Facts only, please."

Romanov nodded and turned back to the screen. "Our background information is a bit sketchy-"

"Some spies," Stark muttered.

"But," Romanov glared, "this is what we know. Parker currently lives with his great aunt-"

"Parents?" Steve asked.

Romanov shook her head. "It's a bit unclear. I was unable to find any official obituaries, but according to the school records his parents have been deceased since he was five-"

"Poor baby," Pepper murmured.

"May Parker, his great aunt, is his sole living relative and his legal guardian. About three months ago her husband was killed in a robbery gone bad."

"Poor baby!" Pepper exclaimed.

"Oh, please," Stark said, folding his arms over his chest. "Join the Dead Parent Club." His comment was more petulant than cutting, and he looked away from everyone's stares.

"Could be why he's doing… all this," Steve said gesturing to some of the other screens in the room, showing loops of Spider-man's activities.

"Or it could be that now he's just not watched as closely with the old man out of the way," Stark countered. He looked at Romanov, "Is he implicated in his uncle's death?"

"No, the robber was identified by witnesses at the scene, pursued by the authorities, and died an accidental death." She flicked up a newspaper clipping on the event. "It was a straight forward event. Ben Parker was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I still say the kid is suspicious," Stark griped. "The Daily Bugle says-"

"The Daily Bugle is about as reliable as Fox News!" Pepper cut him off. "None of their allegations have any proof behind them."

"You ___like _him!" Stark accused.

"He's just a ___baby!" _Pepper threw up her hands.

"A baby who can lift cars, scale buildings with his fingers and tippy toes, swing across the rooftops on WEBS! WEBS, Pepper!" Stark stood and leaned over her. "I thought you wanted to kick him in the shin!"

Pepper stood and got nose to nose with Stark. "That's before I knew he. was. a. BABY!"

Stark threw himself down in his chair and pointedly turned it away from Pepper in a full on pout.

"Sorry, Natasha," Pepper said, taking her seat again. "Please continue."

"There isn't much more. This kid has no record, not even a detention-"

"There was one record," Barton flipped up a school incident report, "he got into a fight at school, before his uncle passed. Broke another kid's arm."

"According to student witnesses, he was defending himself. The other boy's file is full of reports of bullying."

"He's…he's quite intelligent too," Bruce piped up, not lifting his eyes from his tablet. "Straight A's since elementary… honor roll… some recommendations here that he should have been skipped a grade or… um… five. He's already taking college credits on the side."

"Oh, why don't you and Pepper join the Spider-man fan club?" Stark muttered.

"So." Barton said, folding up some squares of paper and launching them idly in the air with a flick of his fingers. "What's our play on this? Do we bring him in? The cops do want him for questioning…"

"I would enjoy an opportunity to test the Spider's skill in battle!" Thor said eagerly.

"Thor!" Pepper admonished. "How can you think of beating up on a little kid?"

"He's a ___bay-beeee," _Stark said in a fake falsetto.

"He's a dangerous baby." Romanov set down her tablet. "Regardless of his motives, he's a loose cannon."

"Can't we…um, can't we just talk to him?" Bruce asked. "I would like to ask him about that polymer…"

"That worked so well last time," Barton sniped. "Didn't end up with half our team stuck on a web for a couple hours or anything."

"That… That seemed mostly because ___we _were attacking ___him_," Banner had that tight smile he got when he was trying very hard to stay even and calm. "All of his attacks were defensive, not offensive."

"Et Tu, Bruce?" Stark said clutching as if he'd been stabbed.

"Enough," Steve said, standing again. "We don't know enough to judge this boy… but we do have the advantage. He doesn't know we're aware of his secret identity."

"We have to do this carefully." He gave each person at the table a long look, making sure they understood. He turned back to Romanov. "I want you and Barton to continue your surveillance of Parker. Intel only," he said firmly, looking at Barton alone this time. "___No one _is to engage Spider-man. Understood?"

"Understood, Captain," Barton said with a frown. For all that he was taking the situation a bit too personally, Barton was a solider first. He'd follow orders, as long as they made sense.

"So we're just going to let the little shit go?" Stark said incredulously.

"No," Steve said firmly. "We're not letting him off the hook. But we need to know more about him before we approach him." He nodded to Banner. "Banner is right, we should talk to the boy… but as Peter Parker, not Spider-man." He looked up at the ID photo. "For some reason he doesn't want the world to know about his abilities, which means we have an advantage over him." He shook his head. "But it's the only advantage we hold right now. We need to wait for the right moment to let him know we're aware of his secret identity. Until then, we continue gathering information, we look for an opportunity to make contact that won't reveal how much we know. We'll be able to get a better sense of his character if he's not on the defensive."

"You're sneakier than I thought," Stark said, giving him a considering look. He didn't look down at his tablet as he scrolled through the other information Romanov and Barton had gathered, making flicker and flow in the air above them.

"I was made to fight secret Nazi organizations," Steve reminded. "You don't take down Hydra posts by just barreling in." He paused and rubbed the back of his neck. "Not usually." He sat back down. "I wasn't just a symbol."

There was a long uncomfortable pause, and Steve felt that perhaps he'd said too much.

"We know that, Steve," Pepper said and reached forward to pat his hand. She looked up at the information above them. "Stark Industries sponsors a few scholarships…"

"Can you print out the information on them for me?" Steve asked. He still wasn't used to reading on the little tablet screens. He wanted something he could take notes on, with a pencil.

"Sure," Pepper nodded.

"So what do the rest of us do?" Stark asked. Steve was surprised that Stark seemed to be looking for orders.

"For now, nothing. Continue with your normal day-to-day operations." He wondered for a moment what that was for most of them. His consisted of working out in his gym, and reading history books trying desperately to catch up. "We plan."

Truth be told he was feeling a bit itchy and claustrophobic, it had been a long time since he'd been without some sort of mission. If the others were feeling the same it could explain why they were so invested in this investigation into Spider-man.

Steve shook his head, making a split second decision. One truth history had shown over and over was that bored soldiers were dangerous soldiers. "Romanov, if you come across any of Spider-man's tech, please pass it on to Banner for processing. See if you can't find out, discretely, how he's producing those webs."

He looked to Barton, "Spider-man may become suspicious if we completely take off all pressure." Romanov and Barton had been pressing the boy hard, and usually at least had a brush with Spider-man every couple of weeks. "Do a controlled engagement with him, don't let him know we've found him. It's important to keep him confident in his secrets. Use this as an opportunity to better gauge his abilities, but don't actually catch him."

"Yes, Sir!" Barton grinned.

"Stark. I'd like to meet with you for training sessions, along with you, Thor."

The big man grinned.

"Wait a minute!" Stark held up his hand. "I don't need any training."

"There may come a time we need to contain this boy," Steve said firmly. "I need you to make some tech that can help counteract his abilities. And we three need to find a way to combine our strength in a way that won't… destroy half the city."

"I guess I can play around with a few ideas," Stark said. His eyes had lit at the words "new tech." He tried to hide his enthusiasm with a careless sniff. "I do have a company to run as well, you know… just a little family business… the largest global multicorp… no big deal."

"Oh, Tony, like you have anything to do with that?" Teased Pepper. "I'll go get those copies for you, Steve."

"Let's work out a rotation for surveillance," Romanov said to Barton, standing and gathering her tablet. "I'll take Parker. You take Spider-man."

"Works for me," Barton nodded, standing and following her to the door. "It will give me an opportunity to study his fighting style, and figure out how best to engage him."

"If…if you come across any more webbing remnants," Banner said, hurrying to catch up. "Can you gather a sample for me? I've analyzed the data from the samples we gathered before…but I'd like to try some additional tests that hadn't occurred to me at the time."

"Sure thing, Doc. I have an idea for some new arrows, based off some of his tech," Barton said doing a quick flick across his tablet. "Do you think you could help make something like…"

Banner leaned forward, "Mmm… I'm more theoretical than application. Tony, could you look at this?"

"What, Cupid wants some new toys?" Stark said, launching himself out of his seat. "Let's see what we got here…" He snatched the tablet from Barton's hands, and flicked up a wireform of an odd looking arrow, "The aerodynamics on this would be weird. But with a little modification-" He threw the tablet back at Barton and started walking as he fiddled with the arrow in the air. "Pepper, I'm going to the lab!" Bruce and Barton chased him as he began to speed walk down the hall. Romanov went the other direction.

"I'll email you the schedule, Barton," she said. She glanced at Steve over her shoulder before she ducked out of sight. "I'm going to go bug the kid's house, no one should be home at the moment."

"You have a meeting at three!" Pepper protested, trying to catch up with Stark.

"Friend Stark!" Thor stood, his booming voice chasing the retreating man. "When will we be able to train as our Captain has requested? I would like again to test my hammer against your armor."

"Pepper, handle that," Stark said, disappearing with Banner and Barton into an elevator.

Pepper threw up her hands in consternation. "Fine. I'll just run things, like usual." She looked up at Thor, who'd come to loom over her eagerly. "Let's just find a space for you in the book, shall we?" Thor nodded and walked with her to the elevator. "Steve, should I just let you know when to be available?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Steve nodded. "I'm at your service."

She smiled and she and Thor disappeared into the next elevator.

Steve found himself alone in the meeting room, at a loss. He'd given his team a mission, and they were focused again. But he'd left himself at loose ends.

He looked up at the screens surrounding the room, still showing endless loops of Spider-man, and then back at the floating photo of a gawky teen. He felt a sudden need to take a look at the boy in person. He checked his watch. It was barely noon, the boy would still be in school.

"JARVIS," He said standing. "Can you lead me to my motorcycle?"

"Yes, Sir." JARVIS replied and opened the elevator. "Shall I program your GPS for Midtown High?"

Stark had insisted Steve let him install one in his helmet after having to call JARVIS for directions one too many times. He wasn't going to ask how JARVIS guessed his destination, he was starting to take it for granted that the AI knew all.

"Yes please."

Author's note.


	5. First Encounter

Steve parked his bike a discreet distance from the school and wandered through the neighborhood. Trying not to gawk at how the city had changed over the decades, he still felt more at home here than he did at the Tower. This was a working class neighborhood, like the one he'd grown up in. People raised families here, and worked and toiled for a living. This is the kind of place he'd imagined he'd end up after the War.

There was a small diner on the corner across the street from the school, and Tony went in for lunch. The cost of… well everything was still shocking to him, and he spent a lot of time deliberating if a grilled cheese sandwich was really worth eight dollars. He could have had steak every night, for a week, before… He'd only brought twenty with him, which had seemed exorbitant at the time now seemed like not enough. Pepper had said that he could use any of the little plastic card things in place of money, just about everywhere, but that seemed ridiculous to him. Who'd take a plastic card and a promise to pay it back from a stranger over cold, hard cash?

Finally he decided to just get a cheeseburger, even if it was the most expensive item on the menu, because it wasn't like it was his money anyway. He wasn't sure if the money and cards came from SHIELD or Stark but he didn't like owing either of them. He had to find a way to get some independence. He might have to get a job… if that was even possible. The world moved so fast, and other than being "Captain America" he didn't really have any marketable skills.

The waitress brought the cheeseburger, and the smell of it was just heavenly. Maybe it actually was worth nine dollars. He lifted the burger and smiled a little. He knew that meat shortages were a thing of the past, but this still felt like a luxury.

"I thought you put Natasha on surveillance," Stark slid into the booth across from him.

Steve sighed and put his hamburger down. "I thought you were working on tech for Barton."

"Got bored." Stark smiled at the waitress and tapped the table when she held out a menu. "I don't like things handed to me." He winked at her. She dropped it on the table and promised to be back in a moment.

"What's that about?" Steve asked, flicking his eyes to the menu and up again. He took a bite of his burger.

Stark flipped open the menu. "Just a peeve." He looked up and called over to the waitress. "What he's having, and a milkshake too."

"The milkshakes are four dollars!" Steve pointed out.

Stark just stared at him, "They're $3.95." He leaned out of the booth again. "And one for my friend here too!"

"Stark!" Steve protested.

"Live a little," Stark stretched out on his side of the booth, looking odd in his expensive suit. "It's just a milkshake."

___It's just food, clothing and a place to live. And a motorcycle, with a helmet with a heads up display and JARVIS. It's just a team to lead…_

It made Steve feel small to accept all this charity. But that was his problem, not Stark's.

"So why are you here?" Stark grinned at the waitress as she dropped off the cheeseburger and shakes.

Steve shrugged. "A bit of cabin fever, mostly," he said honestly. He glanced at the school. "And I just wanted to get a look at the kid. You?"

"You've never left the Tower before," Stark shrugged. "I was curious."

Steve started at that, nonplussed. "Yes, I have!" he thumped his helmet. "That's why you gave me this, remember?"

"Yeah, you've gone out grocery shopping," Stark said around the straw in his milkshake. He chewed on it as he continued speaking. "Which I have people for you know-"

"Yeah, ___you do. _I don't," Steve said shortly, stabbing a french fry into his ketchup. It was a matter of personal responsibility. It was the same reason that he didn't allow maids in his quarters. ___I wonder if they've been cleaning the rest of the floor. I bet it's gotten all musty. _He hadn't gotten the courage up to explore yet. Opening those doors made them "his."

Stark sniffed and picked up his burger. "Yeah, I'm just sayin', mi casa es su casa and my help is your help."

"Mi casa-?"

"My house is your house, but in Spanish."

"I don't want… help," Steve muttered. "Not that kind." He looked up and stared at Stark.

"What?" He said around a mouthful of burger.

"I don't think I've ever seen you eat… besides the shawarma."

"Yeah. Takes up too much time," He took another bite.

Steve shook his head. The man didn't sleep or eat…he was amazed he'd lasted this long. He made a note to ask JARVIS more in detail about Stark's habits and health or Pepper, they were the only one's close enough to know his habits intimately. The suit did a lot of the heavy lifting for Stark, but in an extended battle his body might give out and leave him vulnerable. He probably needed to be put on a calisthenics routine as well as a diet to shape him up.

Stark glanced towards the window. "Oh, hey look, escapees."

Steve checked his watch. "School isn't out yet."

"Hence, they are escaping their classes."

"That bunch," the waitress said, seeing their attention. "Bunch of brats. They come in every day for lunch and never tip. Always take up my tables and just make pests of themselves."

"What are their parent's teaching them?" Stark said with mocking horror.

"Not manners, that's for sure," She shook her head, then faked a smile as the gaggle of students came in.

"Hey, Flo!" A large blonde haired boy called over to the waitress. He had a pretty cheerleader type with him. The other boys in the group all looked big and beefy, and they were wearing team jackets. Steve guessed they were probably all from the football team.

"Hi Flash," the waitress called back. "Your regulars?"

"Yeah, Flo!" Steve noted that her name badge read "Mary."

"Flash Thompson?" Steve asked the waitress.

"Yup, pride of the Panthers," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"You follow high school sports?" Stark asked, his eyebrows flaring up.

"That's the boy Parker got in a fight with."

"That moose?" Stark wiped his mouth, his hamburger done. When he did eat, he ate fast. "Well done, Parker."

"Speaking of which…" Steve said looking out the window.

"Hmmn, didn't take him for the type to cut classes," Stark said. "What do you think the chances are he'll come- oh. Here he comes. Act natural."

"He knows what we look like, Stark," Steve hissed. The boy probably wouldn't have noticed Steve if he'd been by himself. Outside of his Captain's uniform, both the red, white and blue and his dress uniform, he actually blended fairly well. Stark though, stood out like a sore thumb.

He grabbed a dessert menu and buried his attention in it. There was still a fair chance the boy wouldn't notice them. He'd chosen an out of the way booth, and the little diner was full of students and locals. Unless Peter was looking for them specifically… There was still a fair chance Steve hadn't blown this mission completely.

He glanced at Stark, who was casually drinking the remains of his milkshake.

"What?" Stark shrugged. "He either notices us or he doesn't."

"Hey Mary," Parker called as he came in, all knees and elbows. He was wearing jeans that were scruffy at the bottom and the same threadbare flannel they'd seen in the video. "Did'ja remember to save that oil for me?"

"Sure did," Mary called. "Though I don't know what you're going to do with a bunch of old cooking oil."

"Science fair project," Parker grinned as she walked behind the counter. "This one has cash prize. I'm going to make a green engine."

"With cooking oil?" Mary shook her head. "I have to pot it up for you though. I thought you'd be coming after school."

"I got a pass out for the rest of the day," Peter said proudly. "Mr. Smith had an extra credit equation in calc you could solve for a free pass out of his class."

"And you solved it," Mary smiled. "Just like you." Peter ducked his head and colored.

"So he wasn't playing hooky," Steve murmured. Stark shrugged.

"Hey, Puny Parker!" Flash swaggered over. "I thought I told you weren't allowed in this diner?"

"Gee, Biff! I'll have the homework done for you tomorrow!" Parker said in a nasally voice looking at Flash with exaggerated surprise.

Flash blinked, "What?"

"You mean we aren't re-enacting ___Back to the Future_? I couldn't believe anyone would spout a line like that in ___real life._" Parker spread his hands. "My mistake."

Stark snorted and choked back a chuckle.

"You little shit," Flash said and grabbed him by the collar, nearly lifting him off the floor.

"Easy, Cap." Stark hissed, and Steve realized he'd started to stand.

"Flash," Peter choked.

Flash shook the smaller boy, hard, and then dropped him.

Parker picked himself off of the floor. "You forgot to pound your fist into your palm menacingly," he said dusting off his pants. "It's bully one-oh-one. Minus 10 points Slytherin!"

"What?" Flash said pressing close to him again. "Are you still being a dumbass?"

"Actually, I believe I was being a smart-ass."

The blonde Flash had come in with tittered at that comment, and Flash's face went red. His fist went up, Parker braced for impact.

"___Cap,_" Stark repeated. Steve shot him a look. He wasn't going to let the kid get beat on.

"Flash Thompson, what have I told you about fighting in my diner!" Mary said coming out of the back room. "Stop it now, or you'll be banned."

"Flash," the girl said coming over and wrapping her arm around his. "C'mon… I don't want to have to eat at the ___cafeteria. _Come back to the table."

"Sure, Liz," Flash said, after a long belligerent stare at Parker. He turned back to his friends.

"Here's your oil, Peter," Mary said and handed him a large jug of cooking oil. "If you want more, just let me know."

"Thanks Mary," Peter and took it eagerly. He turned leave but kept looking at Mary, "I don't know what I'm going to power the motor with… if I make something cool I may be b-"

Steve saw Flash's foot jab out too late.

"-aaack!" Peter actually managed to avoid the foot Flash put in his path, hopping on one foot and doing a pretty impressive pirouette. His foot came down on his shoelaces and he stumbled over a chair. He went down and the oil flew up and out of his hands. "No, no!" He grabbed for it.

Steve saw it. The moment the boy realized he ___could _catch it, but had to let it drop to keep his secret. Because probably no one would connect Peter Parker's amazing catch with Spider-man, but maybe someone would. He saw the resignation flash in the boy's eyes and his fingers draw back just a hair to prevent catching the oil.

Parker landed hard, and the oil jug burst open dousing him. He lay there soaking in smelly fryer oil. "Shoot."

"Oh Peter!" Mary gasped running around the counter and putting a hand over her mouth.

The other teenagers in the diner burst in to uproarious laughter. A couple were holding little devices up. Cellphones, portable telephones, Fury had given him a primer. But why were they holding the telephones like that…

"What are they-" Steve started to ask.

"Cameras," Stark said shortly. "This will all be on Youtube before he hits the door."

Steve didn't know what a Utube was, maybe some kind of missile? Like a torpedo off a Uboat? Whatever it was, it was bad.

Parker's face was resigned. He slopped back his hair and slowly rose to his feet. He slipped and slid a few times, which made his classmates laugh harder. He glanced at them and Steve could see the bright burn of anger and shame across his cheeks and the tips of his ears.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Mary," He said apologetically. "I'll… I'll clean it up."

"Don't worry about it, Peter," Mary said with an exasperated wave. "Just go home and clean yourself up."

"Thanks," Peter's shoulders were hunched. He slipped and slid over the linoleum towards the door. He was very careful to watch his feet and not glance at the group of students still filming him. He paused at the door, and impossibly his shoulders dipped further.

"Um, Mary," He said, looking over his shoulder.

"Yes, Peter?"

"Can I come by for oil tomorrow? I, uh, still need it for my project."

Flash thought this was the funniest thing ever. He clapped his hands as he laughed himself out of breath.

"Sure thing, Peter," Mary said glaring at the unrepentant football player. "You get home now."

"Thanks," Peter pushed the door open and then promptly fell on his ass as his oil coated feet slipped out from underneath him. The students roared, and the boy finally shattered. He stood, pushed his way onto pavement and broke into a run.

Steve wanted nothing more than to march across the room and show those stupid kids what it felt like to have someone bigger and tougher than you get in your face.

"Let me just… take that," Stark said and tugged at the crumpled dessert menu in Steve's hands. He laid it flat and made a pass at it with his hand. "Yeah. That's a loss." He crumpled it up and tossed it over his shoulder. "Sorry." He said to the person sitting in the booth behind them.

He looked at Steve. "Breathe, Cap." He looked up.

"Hey, Mary," he called. "When you get a moment, could you get my friend here a piece of pie?" He gestured to Steve. "Apple? Yeah." He sniffed. "Apple! Make it two." He held up two fingers.

"Sure thing, sweetie," Mary called back.

"I don't want any pie," Steve muttered.

"Sure you do," Stark replied breezily. "Oh, hey, we should call Tasha." When Steve just stared at him, he raised an eyebrow. "She's bugging the kid's house. The one he's currently running home too?" He made a face. "I'll do it." He pulled out a mini-Stark tablet.

"Hey Tash," Stark said. "Yeah, I know you're busy. Just wanted to let you know the kid left school and is on his way home." He paused, rolled his eyes at Steve. "'Cause I know. I do. Because maybe I'm a better spy than you."

He threw himself back against the booth and flailed a hand at what ever Romanov was saying on the other line. "I saw him. Yeah. I'm across from the school. Nice little diner, great milkshakes." He frowned. "No, I'm not trying to blow the mission. And when was this a mission?" He put his forehead down on the table in mock weariness. "___Yes_, Cap knows." He said, his voice muffled by the table. "Because he's here with me."

He sat up, "So that makes it okay?" He made a face. "Love you too." He sighed. "Get out of the kid's house." He hung up the phone and sniffed.

Mary came by with their pie and took their dirty plates. They both waited for her to leave before looking at each other

.

Stark looked up at Tony. "You calm now?"

Embarrassed by his strong reaction to the incident, Steve ducked his head. "I don't like bullies."

"Yeah, that moose is an asshole." Stark dug into his pie. "This pie is great Mary!" he called out.

"Language."

"What?" Stark said around a mouthful of pie.

"Could you tone down the language?" Steve shifted in his seat and looked around. "We're in mixed company, and there are kids around."

Stark looked around. "Believe me, the little fuckers have heard a lot worse than "asshole."

"Stark!"

"Yeah, you're going to have to get over that one," Stark said, digging back into his pie. "That's hardly a swear word anymore."

Steve shook his head and dug into the pie. For a moment there was silence as the two men scraped their plates.

"I think the boy is a good egg," Steve said finally, into his plate. He glanced at Stark and then back down.

"Don't use puppy eyes on me," Stark said shaking his head. "We aren't calling off the mission."

"I don't use puppy eyes!" Steve said, straightening. "And when was this a mission?" he asked, unintentionally parroting Stark's line from earlier.

"Since you sent Clint to 'engage' him as a test run, and Natasha to bug his house!" Stark said. "And you so do puppy eyes, all the time." He did an impression, ducking his head and then lifting it with fake soulfulness.

"I don't do that," Steve said firmly, in his manliest voice.

"Sure you don't. You're like a big patriotic Labrador." Stark shook his head, and licked a thumb, picking up the last bits of crumbs off his plate with it. He chewed on it a bit, as if trying to get every last bit of flavor. "Anyway, we still need more info, even if I agree with you."

"You agree with me?" Steve said, with a piece of pie halfway to his lips.

"You and I both know that Peter could have taken that moose apart with his pinkie finger," Stark pushed his plate away. "He ___chose _not to. He could be king shit at his school, and instead he keeps up the nerdy punching bag role. Someone in it for the perks wouldn't do that."

Steve remembered that flash of resignation he'd seen when the boy tripped. "Yeah."

"But we still need to get a handle on him. Just because he thinks he's doing the right thing doesn't mean he's not dangerous. The most dangerous men always think they're doing the right thing."

"I'm familiar with that one," Steve said.

::0::0::0

Thanks everyone for the reviews and follows so far! Sorry it takes me so long to post up chapters on here. :)


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